Here is the proposed site plan for the proposed Desert EDGE development within the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. (Submitted graphic/Scottsdale Independent)

By Terrance Thornton | Scottsdale Independent

On Monday, July 31 Desert Discovery Center Scottsdale unveiled its plan for a proposed desert-appreciation venue now envisaged on less than 6 acres just south of the established Gateway trailhead, which includes a series of structures coined “pavilions” and has an asking price of $61.2 million.

The Desert Discovery Center Scottsdale has also announced a formal partnership with the Global Drylands Institute at Arizona State University meanwhile the 30-year-old moniker, “The Desert Discovery Center” needs a new identity, proponents say.

The new identity: the Desert EDGE.

The Preserve itself, proponents of the Discovery Center say, is not enough for visitors to appreciate the McDowell Sonoran Preserve while detractors say the proposed facility is nothing more than a pet project for a handful of the community’s elite.